The Naming of a Trawler: The Grimsby Town
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The Grimsby Town by Steve Farrow
Sir John Marsden of Consolidated Fisheries Ltd promised to name one of their new trawlers after Grimsby Town Football Club if they were ever promoted to the first division (now the Premier League). In the season of 1933/34, they did exactly that. True to his promise a new deep-water trawler was duly named the GRIMSBY TOWN.
She was built and delivered by her builders, Smith’s Dock Ltd of Stockton -Tees, on 1st August 1934. She flew the flag of the football club from her masthead and had the badge of black and white painted on either side of her bows.
The vessel officially opened the new number three fish dock at 14.45 on the 4th October 1934 carrying a large number of invited civic dignitaries, councillors, mayor and members of the football club. She sailed through the new 45′ lock, cutting the ceremonial white ribbon. She gave three long blasts on her steam whistle as she entered the new dock on her way to moor up on the South Quay. Speaking at a luncheon held at the Royal Hotel, Sir John Marsden said the arrival of the trawler marked a new era in the fortunes of the port of Grimsby.
Sir John took the opportunity to announce that the Preston North End would follow in two weeks and in November and December a further four trawlers would arrive.
Sadly, twelve years later the GRIMSBY TOWN was lost after stranding on the South coast of Iceland on April 23, 1946. She had not long returned from her war service as an anti-submarine vessel. Three men lost their lives:
James J. Whelton, of Stirling Street,
Kenneth Meadows, of Hilda Street,
Charles J. H. Lond, of Upper Burgess Street.
Attempts to refloat the trawler failed and she was given up as a total loss. A new GRIMSBY TOWN was launched in November 1953.
Written by Steve Farrow
I was always interested in boats and the sea from being a small boy. At the age of 13 I sailed on the steam trawler, Regardo, fishing in the North Sea as a ‘pleasure tripper’. After other trips on various trawlers, I began a deck apprenticeship in the Merchant Navy in August 1963. After several years of travelling, I came ashore and worked on the lock gates at the Fish and Royal Docks, and then on the dredgers for many years. In 1987 I took up art, and specialised in marine art and fishing vessels. Over the years I completed and sold almost 900 paintings. – Steve Farrow